Clinical and Translational Science Award (UM1 Clinical Trial Optional)
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for academic medical centers, research universities, and healthcare institutions seeking to establish or expand clinical and translational research infrastructure and capacity. Eligible recipients include 501(c)(3) public research universities, academic health centers, and organizations with strong clinical research programs that can demonstrate institutional commitment to integrated research. The award supports multi-disciplinary team science across clinical research domains nationally. Activities funded include workforce development for clinical researchers, clinical trial methodology and management infrastructure, biostatistics and study design capabilities, and institutional support systems that enhance the translation of basic research findings into clinical applications and patient care.
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Program description
This Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement (NOFO) invites applications for the Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program hubs that will be part of a national, collaborative consortium focused on bringing more treatments for all people more quickly through advancing clinical and translational science (CTS) by (1) developing, demonstrating, and disseminating scientific and operational innovations that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of clinical translation from identification to first-in-human studies to medical practice implementation to community health dissemination; (2) promoting partnerships and collaborations to facilitate and accelerate translational research projects locally, regionally, and nationally; (3) creating, providing, and disseminating innovative research programs and partnerships across institutions and communities to address health disparities and deliver the benefits of translational science to all; (4) creating and implementing scientific and operational innovations that increase the quality, safety, efficiency, effectiveness, and informativeness of clinical research; (5) providing a national resource for the rapid response to urgent public health needs; and (6) creating, providing, and disseminating CTS training for clinical research professionals of all disciplines on the research team.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) form (application cover form)
- Project Narrative (research strategy/aims)
- Detailed Budget and Budget Justification
- Institutional Cost-Sharing Statement (demonstrating institutional commitment)
- Organizational capacity and infrastructure documentation
- Biosketches of key personnel
- Letters of institutional support and commitment
- Multi-disciplinary team organizational chart and governance structure
- Supporting letters from clinical and research leaders
- Evidence of existing clinical research portfolio and track record
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.350 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$139,753,636
-
$118,592,298
-
$118,098,707
-
$112,138,469
-
$102,903,347
-
$102,422,256
-
$100,095,982
-
$99,978,264
-
$98,955,036
-
$97,784,066
Top States by Funding
- CA 13 awards $652.0M
- NY 11 awards $506.1M
- MA 6 awards $321.4M
- NC 5 awards $313.7M
- OH 5 awards $162.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.350). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $595,597,945 | |
| 2025 | $626,227,752 |
FAQ
What types of organizations are eligible to apply for a Clinical and Translational Science Award?
Primarily academic medical centers, research universities, and healthcare institutions with demonstrated clinical research capacity. CTSA awards are typically institution-wide programs, so applicants must show an integrated research infrastructure across multiple clinical domains.
Is there a requirement for clinical trial experience?
While the award is optional for clinical trials, applicants should demonstrate clinical research infrastructure and capability. Organizations without an existing clinical trials portfolio should show a credible plan to develop this capacity with institutional support.
What is the role of multi-disciplinary teams in this award?
Team science is central to CTSAs. Applications should describe how the proposed clinical translational science program will coordinate researchers across multiple disciplines, clinical departments, and research support functions to accelerate the research-to-practice pipeline.
How competitive is this funding?
These are highly competitive awards reserved for institutions with substantial research infrastructure and institutional commitment. Applications must include strategic planning, evidence of institutional investment, and clear mechanisms for sustainability beyond the grant period.
What is the typical funding amount and duration?
CTSAs are typically multi-year awards providing significant funding. Exact amounts vary based on institutional size, research portfolio, and proposed scope. Applicants should anticipate 5-year funding periods, though continuation awards require competitive renewal applications.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Lead with institutional commitment and infrastructure: Emphasize existing research support systems, clinical research facilities, and institutional funding dedicated to supporting the CTSA program beyond the grant period.
- Clearly articulate the research-to-practice pipeline: Describe specific mechanisms for translating basic research into clinical applications and ultimately into improved patient care and health outcomes.
- Demonstrate multi-disciplinary collaboration: Include detailed plans for cross-departmental coordination, shared resources, and governance structures that enable integrated clinical and translational research.
- Build a strong clinical research management team: Highlight your biostatisticians, clinical trial coordinators, regulatory specialists, and other infrastructure support personnel who will enable research acceleration.
- Address workforce development explicitly: Show how your program will recruit, train, and retain the next generation of clinical and translational scientists through mentoring, training programs, and career development pathways.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications often underestimate the importance of institutional buy-in and sustainability planning—NIH expects significant institutional cost-sharing and concrete evidence that clinical research infrastructure will be maintained long-term. Another common pitfall is failing to demonstrate genuine multi-disciplinary integration; many applicants describe separate departmental programs rather than showing how diverse clinical research teams will collaborate on shared problems. Finally, weak clinical trial infrastructure or vague plans for supporting clinical research operations (regulatory, trial management, participant recruitment) can weaken otherwise strong applications.
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